Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

"This shouldn't be happening, why should it be like this...?"

The broken, hoarse murmurs fell softly, like years of pent-up grievances finally breaking through a dam.

However, everyone in the room remained silent, and no one could give him an answer.

A gentle breeze stirred the curtains, casting dappled light and shadow on the young man's taut, thin figure, making his restrained grief all the more poignant.

Even the three most playful young players quietly turned their heads away, their eyes devoid of any playful expression.

Ba Qing lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes concealing the surging heartache and unbearable pain in them. A sigh choked in her throat, and she could not express the myriad feelings in her heart, leaving only sadness.

The vast hall was completely silent.

Only Jiang An's low, broken murmurs lingered in the air, spreading layer upon layer, never fading away...

A long silence slowly washed over him. After a long while, when the boy's violently fluctuating breathing finally eased slightly and his emotions, which were on the verge of collapse, subsided a bit, Zhou Wenqing slowly let out a sigh.

He slowly walked around the table and stood in front of Jiang An. His warm palm gently covered the boy's stiff and tense shoulder, the force gentle, silently soothing his almost shattered emotions.

"Jiang An".

Her voice wasn't loud, yet it pierced through the stagnant air, possessing a calming power.

Jiang An seemed to sense something, her body trembled slightly, and she froze for a moment before slowly raising her head to look over.

His eyes were bloodshot, and there seemed to be tears welling up in them, but he stubbornly refused to let them fall. His neck was tense, and his eyes were filled with layers of surging struggle and resentment, as if he was using all his strength to silently roar and question everything in the world.

Why?

—Why should I?!

Zhou Wenqing paused for a moment as she looked at him.

He paused for a moment, then didn't speak immediately. Instead, his gaze slowly moved downwards, landing on the few inconspicuous patches on Jiang An's sleeve.

Even with fine stitches, the traces of fabric repairs cannot be concealed, just like the faded and worn edges of his clothes. Even after being repeatedly and patiently smoothed out, the loose outline eroded by time can still be seen.

Impoverished, down on his luck, adrift, and unknown.

This is what the siblings looked like after years of enduring hardship and struggling to survive.

Zhou Wenqing slowly withdrew his hand from the boy's shoulder and looked up to meet his bloodshot eyes again.

"Jiang An, before answering your question, please answer one of my questions first."

Even if you are now destitute, penniless, and can't even afford a decent set of clothes.

Even after things have come to this, do you still believe without complaint that your older sister did nothing wrong?

"certainly!"

Jiang An made a resolute decision without the slightest hesitation.

He calmly raised his eyes to meet Zhou Wenqing's gaze, the resentment fading from his eyes, leaving only a burning, pure, and unyielding sincerity.

"Even if I am now dressed in coarse clothes and living a poor life, even if I am barely clothed, even if one day I am forced to wander the streets and beg for food, Jiang An will not have the slightest resentment."

"My elder sister is right!"

His gaze was firm, fixed intently on the person before him, his aura suddenly rising, and he even took half a step forward, speaking each word clearly and forcefully:

"I know what you want to ask, sir, but if you intend to use 'my sister is making me suffer' as a reason to criticize my sister and consider it a crime, then please forgive my bluntness—you are wrong, terribly wrong!"

"My sister didn't drag anyone down. It was me, Jiang An, who did it willingly!"

His Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he slowly recounted the ups and downs of the past, his tone tinged with self-deprecation but filled with heartfelt gratitude.

"My elder sister was all alone, without any ties. She was of noble character and exceptionally talented. She could have easily lived a peaceful and carefree life, which was completely different from An."

At this point, Jiang An paused, lowered her eyes slightly, and her voice became a little deeper, carrying a heavy feeling of unbearable memories.

"An was as lowly as mud, initially just a beggar, worthless, not even knowing his own origins. When he was desperate and on the verge of starvation, he even tried to steal to survive, "if he hadn't happened to run into his older sister—"

His eyes brightened, and his tone softened considerably: "If it weren't for my elder sister, who not only didn't despise me but also felt compassion and took me in, treating me like her own brother, taking care of me with all her heart and teaching me everything she knew, she wouldn't have been able to pull me out of the mire and teach me to be a human being."

"If it weren't for my elder sister, I would probably have either frozen and starved to death in the streets long ago, or been beaten to death in the wilderness for theft and robbery. I would never have the peace I have today."

"Even worse—"

At this point, Jiang An lowered her eyes again, her eyes filled with guilt and pain, her voice dry and tight, as if what she was about to say was even more difficult to utter than when she recounted her embarrassing past.

"What's worse... my sister suffered a terrible ordeal and was trapped in a desperate situation, yet I was helpless and had no way to help her. I could only watch as she endured humiliation. But even in that situation, her only concern was for my safety and well-being!"

"My elder sister tried to entrust me to Sister Qing. She repeatedly urged me to leave quickly and not be involved in this disaster. She hoped that I could avoid the storm and make a name for myself in the future and earn a bright future."

After speaking, Jiang An turned his head and looked intently at Ba Qing beside him.

Ba Qing slowly nodded, a sigh spreading across his face, which seemed to confirm these words.

Upon seeing this, Zhou Wenqing felt a chill run down his spine.

He had previously thought that Jiang An was loyal and righteous and protected his sister, but he never expected that she had such a muddy past.

In an instant, Zhou Wenqing felt even greater respect for this extraordinary woman he had never met.

Everyone was speechless, their hearts filled with emotion.

Jiang An took a deep breath, barely managing to suppress the soreness in his throat that almost made him unable to speak, and continued, "It is An who is ungrateful. Not only did he fail to appreciate his elder sister's kindness, but knowing that she is kind-hearted, he still shamelessly begged her again and again."

He slowly lowered his head, his gaze falling on the neat patch on his cuff. His fingertips gently traced the edge of the seam, and his expression softened.

"An is able to take the surname Jiang today and become his elder sister's rightful younger brother, all because of his shameless pestering and begging."

He raised his eyes and looked at Zhou Wenqing again, saying clearly and distinctly, word by word:

"If we're talking about burdens, it's clearly Jiang An who's burdening my elder sister."

As soon as he finished speaking, the hall became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Zhou Wenqing met those firm and clear eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then suddenly smiled.

"good!"

He nodded emphatically, his eyes full of admiration, and patted Jiang An's shoulder again, but this time it was not to comfort him, but to acknowledge and affirm him.

"Okay, Jiang An."

"After listening to your heartfelt words, I believe that even though your sister has experienced many hardships and storms in her life, she must have no regrets in her heart."

"Moreover, I think that the fact that she was able to raise a younger brother like you who is grateful and righteous and stays true to himself is enough to show that she must be a magnanimous, insightful, and extraordinary person who is far beyond the mundane world."

Zhou Wenqing suppressed his smile, his gaze becoming serious and solemn:

"Jiang An, now I can answer your previous question."

"Your sister is not wrong. The fault lies in the injustice of this world, the machinations of petty people, and the prejudices of mediocre people. You can be angry, you can complain, but... you can also follow me, and follow all the ambitious people of Great Qin, to change all of this together."

"The road ahead may be long and arduous, or we may be ridiculed and scorned by the world, pay a heavy price, or even if we keep going and dedicate our whole lives, we may not be able to see our wishes come true."

His gaze was intense, fixed directly on Jiang An:

"But believe me, it will definitely be worth it."

Jiang An stood there, stunned, as if frozen in place by these words.

After a long while, he finally reacted, his jaw clenched, his whole body trembling slightly, his chest heaving violently, the bitterness he had just suppressed surging up again, and his eyes suddenly welling up with tears.

Over the years, people all over the world have condemned his sister for being disrespectful and deceitful, and the criticism and condemnation have never stopped. He has stood up to refute and argue his case countless times, but all he has received in return is more scorn, accusations and ridicule.

Even my older sister said, "Forget it, Xiao An, why bother with them? Let them be."

But how could Jiang An be willing to accept this?

Jiang An could not tolerate those filthy eyes, obscene words, and despicable tricks, all filled with malice, which were poured recklessly onto her elder sister.

His older sister, his wonderful older sister, clearly did nothing wrong! Why is no one willing to open their eyes and listen?

But day after day, year after year, no matter how hard he tried, it was like shouting into an empty valley, all in vain.

Throughout countless long nights, those unanswerable questions swirling in his mind gnawed at him repeatedly, and layers of profound powerlessness and frustration piled up, almost threatening to completely engulf him.

At this moment, finally someone stood up, put their hand on his shoulder, and told him, word by word, with unwavering certainty—you are right, your sister is not wrong, it is this world that is wrong.

Jiang An's lips moved several times, his throat choked and painful, and he couldn't utter a complete sentence for a moment. He lowered his knees slightly and was about to bow and kowtow to Zhou Wenqing.

"gentlemen……"

Zhou Wenqing reacted quickly, raising his hand to firmly support his arm and stop him from bowing.

"There's no need for that," he said in a gentle, warm voice. "I'm not doing you a favor; I'm just stating the truth."

"No, sir."

Jiang An was supported by his arm, but he refused to use the support to get up. Instead, he pressed his body down as low as possible, his back arched deeply, and hot tears broke free from his eyes, one drop after another, wetting the blue bricks under his feet.

"For Jiang An, the fact that the gentleman was willing to speak this truth is already a great favor."

He bowed his head and clasped his hands, his voice clearly choked with sobs, yet every word was earnest. When he looked up at Zhou Wenqing, his gaze was sincere and resolute.

"I humbly beg you, sir, to grant me permission to take the stage in three days and stand before the scholars of Jixia Academy to vindicate my elder sister."

"If this matter succeeds, for the rest of my life, I will go through fire and water, even at the cost of my life, whenever you command me, sir."

"Jiang An's life is now in your hands, sir."

The most humble posture concealed the most fervent feelings. The last sentence, as it fell to the ground, was like a vow made in blood, each word carrying immense weight, crashing heavily into the silent hall, making everyone's heart tremble.

"Excellent! What a truly upright and honorable gentleman he is!"

Before Zhou Wenqing could even express his opinion, the three young players standing nearby couldn't hold back any longer.

Wang Ben suddenly stood up and slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups clink.

His eyes were bright and his blood was boiling; his voice was so loud it reverberated throughout the hall.

"Uncle Zhou! How can we not grant him his wish, such a loyal and righteous man? Please agree!"

"That's exactly right, Uncle Zhou!"

Meng Yi also stood up, though not as excitedly as Wang Ben who slammed his fist on the table, he was still filled with emotion. He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture and spoke solemnly:

"Jiang Jun is sincere and upright, and he has the ability to win on stage, which is evident to all of us. Now that we have recognized his talent, how can we not let him gallop freely?"

"That's right!" Zhang Han stepped forward as well, quickly echoing, "Uncle Zhou, in my opinion, Lord Jiang's courage, character, and talent are all sufficient to shoulder this heavy responsibility. I am willing to vouch for him; if anything goes wrong, I am willing to accept military punishment!"

His face flushed with excitement, his eyes fixed intently on Zhou Wenqing, and he even unconsciously took a half-step back, leaning slightly forward—if it weren't for the large number of people around him and the loss of face, he probably would have already used his unique "leg-hugging technique".

On one side, three young generals took turns protecting him, creating a powerful and impressive scene. On the other side, Fusu finally couldn't sit still any longer. He quickly walked to Zhou Wenqing's side, looked up, tugged at his sleeve, and his eyes were full of anticipation.

"gentlemen……"

He called out urgently, then said nothing, just staring longingly at his husband.

In an instant, Zhou Wenqing was surrounded by a group of teenagers, with earnest and expectant eyes all around him. Unable to resist any longer, he raised his head and met Yao Jia's gaze.

The other person had risen from their seat at some point and was standing quietly a few steps away, looking at him from afar, and giving a slight nod.

Beside Yao Jia, Ba Qing stood gracefully. When Zhou Wenqing looked over, she bowed slightly and said, "Qing also asks Mr. Zhou to grant my request."

What else is there to say?

Zhou Wenqing sighed softly, and couldn't help but smile slightly. He raised his hand to his forehead as if in helplessness, but his tone carried a hint of indulgent laughter:

"That's enough, that's enough—"

"It seems that if I insist on refusing again today, wouldn't I incur the wrath of everyone in the hall and become the only unreasonable person to be criticized?"

He lowered his eyes and looked with a smile at Jiang An, who was still bowing and waiting quietly for a reply:

"Alright, Jiang An, I will grant your request. You will be giving a lecture at the Jixia Academy in three days. Don't disappoint me."

Jiang An's shoulders trembled violently, his whole body tensed up instantly, and then suddenly relaxed.

He suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with uncontrollable elation. His Adam's apple bobbed several times before he finally clasped his hands in a heavy fist salute, his voice hoarse.

"I will certainly not fail in your trust, sir!"

These few words, though brief, were like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples in everyone's hearts.